Their Family Blessing Read online

  “Where are the canoes?”

  “Several of them are in need of repairs. Wade never got around to fixing them. The kayaks are a new addition. The younger guests prefer them to the canoes.”

  Carly tapped in canoe repair to her phone list of things needing to be done before they could reopen. Mack turned the cart around and headed back to the lodge. “The Piney Woods Trail needs clearing. They had a high-wind storm a month or so ago and the path is littered with limbs and debris. That was right after Wade got sick and closed the lodge, so it never got taken care of.”

  Carly added that to her list. The number of areas needing attention was long and time-consuming, and they hadn’t even made a survey of the main lodge and what might need doing there. “I don’t know how we can open in a week.”

  “Then we’ll open in two.”

  “No. I want this place on the market as soon as possible.”

  “Why are you in such a hurry to unload the lodge? This is your heritage.”

  “I don’t live here. I live in Atlanta, and I have no desire to run the campgrounds. So there’s no reason to hang around and waste time. The sooner we sell the better.”

  “So it’s all about the money with you?”

  “Not in the way you mean.”

  “What other way is there?”

  “I need to get back.” She was not about to discuss the sad state of her financial affairs with him.

  The muscle in his jaw flexed as he accelerated. They were halfway to the lodge before he spoke again.

  “How did your husband die? Wade never told me.”

  Reliving that moment never got any easier. “Heart attack. We were having a cookout with friends and he went inside to get more burgers and never came out. A friend went in to check on him and found him.”

  Mack reached over and took her hand. “I’m sorry, Carly. I shouldn’t have asked. It must have been hard for you and Ella.”

  “She was only three at the time, so she only has faint memories of him. I keep a picture in her room so she won’t forget what he looked like.” He’d been a wonderful father and husband. The perfect mate.

  Thankfully they had arrived at the lodge. Carly got out and strode toward the lodge. Mack called her name, but she waved him off. “I’m going to check with Thelma. She has a list of things needing to be done in the lodge. We’ll get together later and prioritize.”

  She could feel his gaze burning into her back. But she refused to get caught up in pointless sentiment and old memories. The goal was to get the lodge ready for the market. She was already thinking of how to photograph the areas to best advantage and upgrade the website to be more user-friendly.

  The sooner she could attract a buyer, the sooner they could all go back to the way things were.

  Chapter Three

  Dwayne was waiting in the golf cart shed when Mack pulled up. He came over and rested a hand on the cart’s roof. “Well, how did it go?”

  Mack leaned back, resting his hands on his thighs. “I’m not sure.”

  Dwayne chuckled. “That’s a nice clear answer.”

  “I showed her everything, even the new trail Wade laid out for her. I guess I was expecting some sort of emotional reaction, but she was cool and detached the whole time.”

  “That doesn’t sound like the girl I remember.”

  Mack nodded in agreement. “I think she was surprised by the changes, but I can’t tell if she approved or not. She took some pictures.”

  “Really? Why?”

  “She said to use them on the website and in the real estate listings.”

  “She’s that anxious to unload the place?”

  Mack rubbed his forehead. “It’s like she can’t stand to even be at the lodge.”

  “I’m not surprised. Her mama did a number on her. You know she refused to stay in Wade’s apartment.”

  “Yeah. I noticed. How can she be so blind to what a wonderful man her father was?”

  Dwayne adjusted his cap. “Maybe because someone else was standing between her and the truth.”

  “Her mother. I get it. I don’t know what happened, but I remember the arguments. They were loud and hurtful.”

  Dwayne shook his head. “That wasn’t the only thing going on, you know.”

  “What else could there have been?”

  The older man patted his shoulder. “You’ll have to work that out with Carly. And if I were you I’d let her know what you actually want out of this arrangement, because when she finds out you weren’t serious about selling and were only agreeing to buy time, she’ll explode. Carly has many of Wade’s good qualities, but she got some bad ones from her mother—an explosive temper and the ability to carry a grudge. Especially when it involves someone she cares about.”

  Mack made his way back to the lodge trying to decipher the things Dwayne had said. He’d had the feeling his friend was trying to tell him something important without actually saying it, which was very uncharacteristic of him. He was usually a straight-talking kind of guy.

  Whatever had happened between Wade and his wife had been enough to turn Carly against her dad. Which made no sense because she’d always worshipped him, following him around, helping with all the work around the lodge. Her pride in the lodge had been inspiring.

  Mack walked up the steps to the front porch, Riley trotting happily beside him as his escort. A glance at his watch reminded him that it was nearly time for a call from his sister. Inside the lodge he looked for Lucy. Thelma glanced up from the registration desk and smiled.

  “Lucy and Ella are on the swings out back. I think that’s their new favorite spot.”

  The girls had hit it off and Mack was grateful. The last six months had been hard on his niece, losing her grandma, her mom, coming to live with him, then moving to Hastings and meeting more strangers. He wasn’t sure how beneficial a call from Val would be, but it was the only thing his sister insisted on.

  Mack stopped at the deck railing and watched the girls pushing the swing to the limits as they sang a song. He had no idea what it was, but Lucy had sung it often. Before he could call to his niece, Carly stepped onto the deck. The sunlight brought out the highlights in her brown hair.

  She smiled as she watched the girls. “Ella has really bonded with your niece. I’m glad she has a friend here. Longleaf is very different from what she’s used to.”

  “She seems to be adapting okay.”

  “I’m surprised. She’s usually so shy, but things are different now.”

  “Things?”

  Carly broke eye contact and called out to her daughter. Ella pouted. She was a cute kid.

  “Lucy—” he held up his phone “—it’s about time.”

  Lucy jumped off the swing and ran toward him. “We’ll play later, Ella.”

  She hugged her uncle, and he turned and steered her into the house and found a quiet corner to wait for the phone call. Lucy held the cell like a lifeline, never taking her eyes from the screen.

  Mack settled onto the couch, trying to quell the rising tension in his chest. These moments were always so difficult. Lucy would become excited to talk to her mom, only to fall into deep sadness when it was over, and he was left to comfort her. He always felt like a failure and out of his depth on how to help.

  His ringtone sounded, and Lucy punched the button before it finished. She sank onto the floor and spoke softly into the phone, her face aglow. He’d always loved his niece, and being her guardian had increased that tenfold. He had embraced the feeling and the responsibility. Now he would be lost without her. She meant everything to him, and he wanted to give her the world and protect her from any unhappiness. More than anything he wanted her to have a home.

  When the phone call was over, Lucy sat with the phone in her lap, her eyes glassy with tears and her lips quivering. He braced himself for what was to come. Without a wo
rd he opened his arms and said her name. She jumped up and threw herself into his lap. He held her close as she cried.

  “I want Mommy to come home.”

  “I know, sweetie, I know.” He kissed her head and prayed for peace for her little broken heart.

  As if sensing the child’s mood, Petunia came to the couch and jumped up, thrusting her furry head under Lucy’s arm. The warm puppy momentarily stopped the tears.

  Ella strolled into the room, then hurried out calling for her mom. Mack didn’t have time to deal with Carly right now. Lucy was crying again. One hand gripped his shirt and the other hugged the little dog.

  By the time Carly did enter the room, Lucy was regaining her composure. She had downgraded to sniffles, and her death grip on his shirt had eased.

  Carly met his gaze, her expression asking if there was anything she could do. He made a slight movement of his head.

  Ella broke away from her mom and came toward them. She stopped in front of his niece. “Lucy. Do you want to go swing? It always makes me happy after I’ve been sad.”

  To his surprise, Lucy nodded and sat up. Petunia jumped down and stood by Ella. Lucy took Ella’s hand and the two walked slowly toward the back door, leaving Mack with a profound tenderness in his heart. Thank You, Lord, for sending this little girl to be a friend to Lucy.

  Carly took a seat beside him, and he sensed she was bursting with questions. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Val calls Lucy once a week. Lucy lives for those moments, but when they’re over, she’s crushed. I sometimes wish Val wouldn’t call.”

  “Does Lucy ever visit her?”

  “No. We both felt it wasn’t good for her to see her mom that way.”

  “She’s blessed to have you. You were always good with kids. I remember that one summer when that big family stayed here, the one with the seven kids. You came up with all kinds of fun activities for them.”

  Mack’s pulse skipped a beat at the affectionate expression on her face. That was the Carly he remembered. Happy, optimistic and always full of energy. Maybe she did remember the good times at the lodge. “That was a fun time. I think the family stayed an extra week.”

  “They did, and I think they wanted to adopt you.” She giggled at the memory.

  Mack couldn’t look away. At this moment, with her fawn-colored eyes lit with happiness and her sunny smile on display, that old dream he’d cherished about having Carly in his life was stirring again.

  “I remember, but I already had a family right here with you and your dad.”

  Like the flip of the switch, Carly’s good mood vanished. Her eyes darkened and the smile disappeared into a tight line. She stood. “We need to get together with the Thompsons and determine how quickly we can get these repairs done. If we’re going to have any hope of selling the lodge, we need to get it on the market ASAP.”

  “What’s going on, Carly? What did I say?”

  “Nothing. I told you. I don’t want this place or...anyone connected with it.”

  Mack thought he saw a hint of tears in her eyes as she walked off, which made no sense. He ran a hand down the back of his neck, wondering if Lucy would be as hard a female to understand as Carly was.

  Dwayne walked toward him and nodded to Carly as she hurried past him. He stared at Mack with a raised brow. “You have the look of a man with a dilemma.”

  “That’s an understatement. I don’t even have a clue what the problem is so I can start fixing it.”

  “You never did, kiddo.”

  “What does that mean?”

  Dwayne shrugged and grinned. “Wade left his life’s work to you and Carly. Think about it.”

  Mack shook his head. He was in no mood to unravel riddles. Granted, Wade’s will was odd, to say the least, but Mack had always known his mentor would leave him something. Wade knew how much Mack loved the lodge, but he’d expected a sum of money or maybe a piece of the land to call his own. Dwayne’s comment suddenly loomed in his mind.

  Why had Wade left the land to him and the lodge to his daughter? What was he hoping to accomplish? Mack had assumed it was his way of trying to remind Carly of her childhood here, the same way Mack was hoping to rekindle her love for Longleaf.

  Could there be another reason? Nothing came to mind at the moment. Shoving the notion aside, he went in search of his niece to see if she’d recovered from the call from her mom. He found the two little girls on the yard swing under the giant live oak at the edge of the water. They had a book between them, oblivious to the world. He had a feeling Ella would be able to help Lucy more than he ever could.

  It always helped to have a close friend who understood. Carly had been that friend for him after coming to work at the lodge. They’d enjoyed working together on the grounds and helping the guests in season.

  All that mattered now was saving the estate. He had to get the Thompsons on board, and, God willing, the three of them could find a way to persuade Carly not to give up on the lodge.

  * * *

  Monday morning, Carly made an early escape from the lodge and headed out in her car. She needed to find some breathing space from all the memories and the pressure. Sunday had been filled with church and a nice dinner afterward. She’d managed to avoid everyone by taking Ella into Hastings for some mother-daughter mall shopping, then hiding in her room citing a need to catch up on work back home.

  After putting on her blinker, she turned into the large parking lot of the Lake Hope Marina and parked her sedan. Situated five miles outside of Hastings, Lake Hope had become a thriving resort area. Along with the Longleaf Lodge and Campgrounds, there were rental cottages and fishing boats for hire. The Marina Village stores supplied not only the visitors but the local residents who lived and worked at the lake. Thelma had warned her the place had been completely redesigned and she hadn’t been joking. The rustic low-roofed building of old had been replaced with a charming multibuilding complex designed to resemble a small fishing village. Where the former structure had looked unsightly and unwelcoming, the new store invited everyone inside to explore and linger.

  Carly started toward the main building, now named the Lake Hope Marina Store. She and Ella had been in Hastings four days now and if they were staying the two months required by the will she needed to do some shopping. She was hoping she could cut that time in half and get back to her life in Atlanta, though.

  Mack had organized a meeting with the Thompsons last night, and they had started to lay out a plan for reopening the lodge. Dwayne and Mack would work on the outside, getting the livery up and running, and clearing the trails, while she and Thelma concentrated on preparing the lodge for guests. Carly was hoping to freshen up the decor, provided there was enough funds in the account her father had left. Thelma had already started contacting former employees and offering them their jobs back and calling vendors to get the kitchen restocked and operating.

  A father and young daughter passed by as Carly neared the entrance of the store, reminding her of the moment yesterday when she had stepped into the main room of the lodge and seen Lucy sobbing in Mack’s lap. Ella had come to her, upset that her friend was crying. Her heart had ached for the child, but what had touched her most was Mack’s tenderness with the little girl. He obviously cared deeply for his niece. It was one of the things she’d always loved and admired about him. He had a huge heart for others and a gentleness that reminded her of her dad.

  Maybe that was why Mack and her dad had become so close—because they were so much alike and held the same interests. Qualities she must have lacked. Why else would her father prefer Mack to her?

  The store was brightly lit, and a quick glance around made it easy to find the different departments. A two-lane checkout positioned near the door made purchasing items simple, quick and easy.

  Carly took a few minutes to wander the aisles before tackling her shopping list. Dry goods were on one side, fo
od and fishing supplies on the other. Bait and tackle, formerly housed inside the marina store, were now sold in a separate little shop.

  “Carly? Carly Porter? Is that you?”

  She spun around and saw a somewhat familiar face. It took her a second to recognize her old school friend Ashley Jenkins. They both squealed in excitement and hugged each other. “I can’t believe you’re still here.”

  “I can’t believe you’re back home.”

  “Oh, it’s only temporary. I’ll be leaving as soon as I can sell my dad’s place.”

  “I know. I heard about the quirky will he left. Weird, huh?”

  Carly had forgotten how small towns operated, and while Lake Hope wasn’t exactly a town, it was a community, and news spread quickly among the residents. “I guess everyone knows then, huh?”

  “Yep. How was it seeing Mack again? Any of the old sparks still there?”

  “No. No sparks. There never was.”

  “You’re kidding, right? There were plenty of sparks. Especially that last summer you were here.” Ashley fanned her hand in front of her face. “If you hadn’t run away, I was sure you two would have ended up engaged or something.”

  “I didn’t run away. I had to leave suddenly.”

  Ashley stared at her a deep frown creasing her forehead. “I’ve never known you to hide from the truth, Carly. What happened that summer? You definitely ran away. You didn’t even say goodbye to me.”

  Carly’s stomach was churning and she wasn’t sure why. “I’m sorry. It was a difficult time.”

  “Apparently.” Ashley smiled and squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stir up the past. I was sorry to hear about your husband. I know what you’re going through. My husband died around the same time. A boating accident. It’s been hard.”

  “Oh, Ash, I didn’t know.”

  Ashley waved off her concern. “You’ve been gone. But I’m doing all right. I belong to a widow’s therapy group. It’s actually more like a support group. It’s run by a psychologist, Nina Sinclair. She’s wonderful. The women are all like you and me.”